Real Madrid: 3 keys to victory against Celta Vigo on LaLiga’s Matchday 4

2. Real Madrid must utilize fast, counter-attacking football

Though Celta hasn’t started the season on a high, they have only conceded three goals in three matches. Real Madrid on the other hand has conceded four. Though not a very justifiable comparison, something that is clear is that Celta are a stubborn defense and they do not let oppositions score very easily.

Now, there are few visible weak links in Celta’s defensive play that can be exploited in Real Madrid’s favor. The first is that they struggle against a high tempo. And, Real Madrid under Carlo Ancelotti has been playing high-tempo attacking football. They are particularly weak against speedy counters and long shots. You may be reminded of Angel Correa’s opener in the first game.

My shout for Real Madrid would be to rely on launching counters. Luka Modric is expected to be back for the next Matchday alongside a slim chance of the new signing, Eduardo Camavinga starting too. Either players can help massively in ball retrievals in midfield or even higher up the pitch. This would be especially important since the Brazilians on International Duty are expected to miss this Matchday and Carlos Casemiro wouldn’t be there to help us win the ball, all match-long.

Therefore, the second key is to wreak havoc off the ball retrievals. Win the ball higher up the pitch and launch an attack immediately. Vinicius Junior’s pace again could be a big miss and Eden Hazard would need to be in his sparkling best to deceive a very diligently defending Celta side.